On 12 December, ANACOM received the Chair of the Intermunicipal Community (CIM) of Viseu, Dão Lafões, as well as the Presidents of the municipalities of Aguiar da Beira and Oliveira de Frades. The meeting was requested by these local authorities in order to raise concerns about provision of the universal postal service to local populations.
Representatives of ANACOM and municipal councils
At the meeting, Rogério Abrantes (Chairman of CIM and of Câmara Municipal de Carregal do Sal), Joaquim Bonifácio (Chairman of Câmara Municipal de Aguiar da Beira), Paulo Ferreira (Chairman of Câmara de Oliveira de Frades), and Andrade Miranda (CIM lawyer), set out their concerns in view of the intention, announced by CTT - Correios de Portugal, to close existing post offices in their municipalities. Although, for the time being, the closures are suspended by order of Tribunal Administrativo e Fiscal de Viseu (Viseu Tax and Administrative Court), the municipal representatives would like to see the situation resolved, and they have expressed their willingness to find solutions which ensure that local populations retain access to quality postal services, including services outside the scope of the universal postal service. In fact, a deterioration has been noticed by all in the quality of the service.
Concerns were also raised about the deterioration of quality in postal distribution.
At the meeting, which was attended by ANACOM's Chairman, by ANACOM directors, Paula Meira Lourenço and Sandro Mendonça, ANACOM's Director of Markets Regulation, Luis Manica, and Coordinator of the Postal Services Unit, Agostinho Franco, and also by ANACOM's Director of Litigation and Offences, Margarida Guimarães and ANACOM press officer, Ilda Matos, situations were also reported involving a lack of mobile network coverage, broadband Internet coverage and problems in reception of the digital terrestrial television signal.
ANACOM explained its responsibilities as regards the universal postal service and the most recent decisions taken to prevent a deterioration in the quality of the universal postal service.
